From … Read Full Bio ↴Vincent Poag never dreamed his story would work out like this.
From the first time he saw the story of Broadway composer George M. Cohan in the movie Yankee Doodle Dandy as a child, Poag dreamt of being a songwriter. With early music influences like Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, Poag learned a lot about showmanship and the ability to sell a song. The Massapequa, Long Island native was captivated by the golden age of 1950’s Broadway; the songs and musical magic of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rodgers and Hammerstein helped shape an understanding that music could be beautiful and thought provoking at once.
As Poag’s adolescence blossomed, The Beatles came into play; then Bob Dylan. The seismic shift of the 1960’s was not lost on Vincent Poag. He was soon performing in his own acoustic trio, which made more than a little noise in Atlanta’s then burgeoning Underground scene. Fully in love with music, but unable to make a living, Poag returned to New York and found a home for his creative talents in the business world, where he spent the next three and a half decades carving out a highly successful career.
The thing about The Muse is that once it grabs you it never lets go. In 2008, Poag’s wife bought him guitar lessons as a birthday present. It’s a gift that continues to give. Poag quickly re-discovered his passion for songwriting, and hasn’t stopped since. Wanting to make a lasting record of his songs for family and friends, Poag went into the studio with the intent of cutting straight-forward tracks. Bigger things were afoot, however: in the studio alchemy occurred. With the help of producer/recording artist Aric Carroll, Poag began to flesh out his songs with grander instrumentation than he had imagined. Soon he was working with producer/arranger/composer Kathy Sommer (Daughtry, Skye Sweetnam) to add orchestration to his songs. The end result of this creative process is the album Circling Back, which reflects Poag’s long journey back to where he belongs, and offers a message of hope for all of those who might have lost sight of their dreams.
Also an outgrowth of the recording experience, Poag loves to tell the story of how he and Bahamian singer/songwriter Phil Stubbs met. Fifteen years in the past, Poag heard a song played by a Caribbean band on Long Island called “The Stress Song”. Poag re-wrote the verses for his own enjoyment; he had no plans at that time to become a songwriter or make a record. Ten years later he was working on his album, and decided he wanted to include “The Stress Song”. It took some time to find out who had written the original, and even longer to track him down. After some initial acrimony, Poag and Stubbs became fast friends. Of Stubbs, Poag states, “He’s an incredible artist who is a `national treasure. He’s my Bahamian brother… a class act raised without shoes for his feet who writes and sings about real life in a uniquely sensitive uplifting way.”
Vincent Poag creates his lyrics like a painter, crafting messages of deep meaning in lucid words and rhyme. His gently orchestrated folk and rock songs speak of melodic purity and simplicity, while blending the gravity of truth and the levity
of hope. With a philosophical writing style, and a voice that falls somewhere between early Dylan, Randy Newman and the talk/sing style of Mark Knopfler, Poag is a storyteller in abstract. He attacks each tale in a first-person narrative style that is conversational in nature, conveying a heart that is full of conviction and a yearning for truth.
In an era when celebrity is just a mouse click away for any Indie musician with the drive to make it happen, Vincent Poag is a refreshing dichotomy of purpose and talent. An intensely private man working in a highly public occupation; Poag creates music worth hearing while maintaining a largely anonymous public persona. He’s a family man who learned early in life the importance of respect and relationships; he prizes his family and friends above all other things.
So thirty-five years after Vincent Poag gave up hope of being a full-time songwriter, he’s once again living his dream. It seems novelist George Eliot was right. It really is never too late to become what you might have been.
Once Upon A Time
Vincent Poag Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was blessed with a love that was mine
It came like a brand new dawn
This embrace that made me strong
Like I'd suddenly been reborn with a glow
That was once upon a time
Once upon a time long ago
But our love was brave and new
And our family it grew into three
Weathering everything that came
Life between the drops of rain
Never having to explain why it was so
That was once upon a time
Once upon a time long ago
Was it changing with the times
Or a simple change of mind
That could turn a love so warm into snow
Isn't love supposed to grow
Can it quickly come and go
Now there's nothing left to say but I know
It was once upon a time
Once upon a time long ago
The lyrics to Vincent Poag's song "Once Upon a Time" reflect on the singer's past relationship. The song starts with the singer admitting that they used to think nature was unkind. However, they were blessed with a love that made them stronger, as if they had been reborn with a newfound glow. The lyrics provide a pleasant description of how the relationship evolved, with the skies being various colors of blue, and their family growing into three. They weathered through everything that came their way and didn't have to explain why things were so.
However, the tone of the song changes in the last verse. The singer questions whether it was changing times or a change of mind that caused the love to turn cold. They question whether love is supposed to grow or quickly come and go. Ultimately, there's nothing left to do but accept that it was a love that no longer exists.
Overall, the song reflects on the passage of time and how it impacts relationships. It's a sobering yet poignant song that highlights the devastating effects that time can have on love.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time when I thought nature unkind
In the past, when I believed the world was cruel and unforgiving
I was blessed with a love that was mine
I was fortunate enough to have a love that was uniquely mine
It came like a brand new dawn
It appeared suddenly, like the dawn of a new day
This embrace that made me strong
This hug that made me feel empowered and capable
Like I'd suddenly been reborn with a glow
As if I had been reborn, radiating with renewed energy
That was once upon a time
That was in the past, long ago
Once upon a time long ago
Once, a very long time ago
Skies were different shades of blue
The sky had various tones of blue
But our love was brave and new
However, our love was courageous and young
And our family it grew into three
And eventually, we became a family of three individuals
Weathering everything that came
Enduring all the challenges that arose
Life between the drops of rain
Living amidst the moments of hardship and sadness
Never having to explain why it was so
Without ever having to justify why we loved each other
That was once upon a time
That was in the past, long ago
Once upon a time long ago
Once, a very long time ago
Was it changing with the times
Did it evolve alongside the changes in society?
Or a simple change of mind
Or was it simply a change of perspective?
That could turn a love so warm into snow
That could make a once affectionate love turn cold
Isn't love supposed to grow
Isn't love expected to develop and flourish?
Can it quickly come and go
Can love appear and disappear hastily?
Now there's nothing left to say but I know
Now, there's nothing more to discuss other than my certainty
It was once upon a time
It happened, long ago
Once upon a time long ago
One day, a very long time ago
Lyrics © PhyllWill Publishing
Written by: Vincent Poag
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind